1. Field
A method of processing an air bearing surface (hereinafter, referred to as an “ABS”) of a thin-film magnetic head slider to form an air-bearing-surface uneven pattern (hereinafter, referred to as an “ABS uneven pattern”) on the ABS that generates lift force and a plurality of protrusions that reduce stiction is provided.
2. Related Art
Flying thin-film magnetic heads each includes a slider that incorporates, for example a magnetoresistive element or an inductive element. A flexure composed of a flexible metal supports the slider at the free end thereof. A load beam fixes the flexure. When a recording medium is stopped, the bottom face of the slider is in contact with a surface of the recording medium due to the elastic force of the load beam. The recoding medium begins to move, thereby generating airflow between the slider and the surface of the recording medium along the direction of motion of the recording medium. As a result, the slider flies over the surface of the recording medium because of lift force generated by the airflow. The thin-film magnetic heads each read or write while maintaining the flight position.
Thin-film magnetic heads include an ABS uneven pattern on the ABS that generates the lift force exerted on the face of the slider that faces the recording medium by the airflow between the slider and the surface of the recording medium. Protrusions reduce the adsorption force between the thin-film magnetic head and the surface of the recording medium and stiction due to the adsorption force when the thin-film magnetic head is at rest on the surface of the recording medium.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-263712 discloses the following process of producing the face of a slider that faces a medium. The slider having an ABS uneven pattern on an ABS that generates lift force and protrusions that reduce stiction. A first silicon film, a first carbon film, a second silicon film, and a second carbon film are laminated in that order on the face of the slider facing the medium. A resist pattern that defines the protrusions is formed on the second carbon film. Portions of the second carbon film and the second silicon film that are not covered with the resist pattern are removed by reactive ion etching (RIE) with an etching gas containing O2 and CF4.
The resist pattern is removed to form protrusions each including the second silicon film and the second carbon film on the first carbon film. The ABS uneven pattern is formed on the face of the slider that faces the medium by photolithography. A resist film is formed over the first carbon film and the protrusions. Exposure and development are performed to form a resist pattern for defining the ABS uneven pattern. Portions of the first carbon film and the first silicon film that are not covered with the resist pattern are removed by etching. The resist pattern is removed, thereby forming the ABS uneven pattern that includes the protrusions.
In the above-described known process, the resist pattern is disadvantageously detached in the step of forming the ABS uneven pattern. When development is performed in a state in which the resist pattern is detached, the ABS uneven pattern is inaccurately formed to degrade flying characteristics of the thin-film magnetic head.